Random Rants LVI: Raving Mad

[SS-18 ICBM]

I wouldn't look down on people who do, though. I'd just wonder why they didn't know the extent of their own appetite before ordering the food.

People generally don't control what portion sizes restaurants use. Or they can't reverse procedures like gastric bypasses.

 

[warpus]

because they are afraid of looking stingy,” said Elisabeth Manzon, who directs food projects at the government agency running the campaign in the Rhône-Alpes region. “They are ashamed.”

.. .. Stingy? Taking stuff you bought home is.. stingy? How does that make sense?

I'm all for understanding bizarre cultural practices, but this one doesn't make sense to me at all yet.

 

[Borachio]

Well, in a way we do control the portion sizes. Restaurants don't have an interest in oversupplying their customers as a rule. If a lot of food is being left on the plates, that's potential profit the enterprise is losing.

But yeah, I suppose people's appetites do vary considerably. It's just that I've never found a restaurant supply me with more food than I can possibly stuff in my greedy gob.

Eating out is the most expensive way of eating, so I'm really unlikely ever to not get the maximum value for my money.

 

[Arakhor]

.. .. Stingy? Taking stuff you bought home is.. stingy? How does that make sense?

If you take home food you haven't eaten at a restaurant, you're clearly too stingy to buy the food you would otherwise eat.

 

[Takhisis]

wat you say?

 

[warpus]

Well, in a way we do control the portion sizes. Restaurants don't have an interest in oversupplying their customers as a rule. If a lot of food is being left on the plates, that's potential profit the enterprise is losing.

But yeah, I suppose people's appetites do vary considerably. It's just that I've never found a restaurant supply me with more food than I can possibly stuff in my greedy gob.

Eating out is the most expensive way of eating, so I'm really unlikely ever to not get the maximum value for my money.

Here in North America portion sizes are larger than what you have in Europe, generally speaking.. This is especially true for the U.S., where I've often encountered giant portions that could feed entire families.

Here in Canada it depends on the restaurant but it is very frequent that I have to pack things up and take them home. I don't think twice about it - it's lunch or dinner for the next day! You're right that it seems that a restaurant will waste money this way, but I think what's happening is everybody else does it, so.. other restaurants have to follow suit, or else the clientele is going to label them as "that place where you don't get as much". The exception seems to be more expensive restaurants and/or unique ones that don't have to worry about that. The more expensive they are, the more people are likely to accept smaller portion sizes, because the food is more gourmet or whatever. People don't go there to stuff their faces, they go for a fine dining experience, where every bite is savoured carefully and orgasmically. Super expensive restaurants will just like give you a leaf and some sauce on it and call that a meal. $200. Bon appetit. And by "unique restaurants" I mean.. Oh I don't know.. Let's say some place like WVRST in Toronto, which specializes in sausages. They are a bit more expensive than a regular type of sausage, but you go there because they specialize in sausages. You don't go to stuff your face either, so they dont have to worry about serving smaller portions.

Does any of that make sense? I have to get back to work so I can't even proofread it.

 

[Borachio]

.. .. Stingy? Taking stuff you bought home is.. stingy? How does that make sense?

I'm all for understanding bizarre cultural practices, but this one doesn't make sense to me at all yet.

If all you can't eat is a load of chips, or some left-over rice (or any other relatively low value food), I'd say you're pretty stingy, yes.

But taking home a piece of cooked steak you can't eat at the time is also a strange thing to do, imo. It's evidently not going to be up to its best by the time you get round to eating it.

(I'm assuming that people aren't just feeding their dogs with the stuff.)

I tend to take all the food I bought home, in my stomach.

If the main interest is saving money, what doesn't make sense to me is... eating out in a restaurant.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Here in North America portion sizes are larger than what you have in Europe, generally speaking.. This is especially true for the U.S., where I've often encountered giant portions that could feed entire families.

This is very true. Many 1st generation immigrants to the US I've met have said something more or less like this, regardless of whether they're from China or Germany or Burkina Faso or Tajikistan.

Even as a 2nd generation immigrant I find some portion sizes in the US rather intimidating.

All y'all Americans are crazy with food yo.



All that said, I always bring my food home. My family does too. We like not to waste food. I do think it's more common among 1st and 2nd generation immigrants in the US than other Americans though.

 

[Borachio]

My family does too. We like not to waste food

For my family it's never been a matter of "not liking to waste food". You're better thought of for being a serial killer than for being someone who leaves food on their plate. It's fine not to eat something, though. Just don't let it onto your plate if you're not going to eat it.

 

[Gori the Grey]

I think the rants own the thread, so the possessive is appropriate.

vs

If the Rants own the thread then it's Rants' thread. Otherwise, it's only the thread of one particular right! HEIL GRAMMERN!

and

I think the rants own the thread, so the possessive is appropriate.

vs

Says the man who leaves an apostrophe out of his username.

vs

Two of them actually.

We totally need a thread for Competitive Grammar Nazism. That's something I could totally get up for. Whomever wanted to could compete. We could point out when people tried to use unnecessarily high-falutin' vernacular, when simpler words were in fact more appropriate. Its really something we should consider.

 

[Borachio]

"Whomever"!

Tsk!

"We wanted to compete", would seem natural to me. "Us wanted to compete", doesn't

 

[Gori the Grey]

Keep looking.

 

[Takhisis]

@Borachio:

@Gori: Well, given that I do it mostly to poke fun at myself (and expect to get caught out when my own horrible mistypings happen to eventually eventuate) then why not?

 

[Borachio]

Keep looking.

Well, I totally don't like the use of "totally" in this context.

It's like totally unnecessary and kinda lame.

 

[Takhisis]

The comma right after 'vernacular' shouldn't be there.

 

[Borachio]

Don't know so much about that. It seems to indicate a natural pause to me; though I'd probably have used a semi-colon there, myself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elements_of_Style

 

[Gori the Grey]

4 of 6.

 

[Civ'ed]

Rant: Youre all grammar nazis

 

[Gori the Grey]

You should have a period at the end of that sentence, Civ'ed.

And maybe an apostrope somewhere to.

 

[Takhisis]

'vs' should be 'vs.'

The first one of all of them should be capitalised as well.

x-post edit: It's called a full stop, Gori.